The Latest Breaking News from Luke Richardson

Out of necessity, the Hawks used Dickinson in a more offensive role the second half of last season. Now back on a new-look fourth line with Nick Foligno and Corey Perry, though, he feels more at home.

With patience, Bedard’s chances and points will come, as was the case Tuesday. He tallied three points in a 4-2 Hawks win. But in the meantime, Luke Richardson is teaching him that “everything doesn’t have to be a highlight.”

Bedard set up both Hawks goals in a 2-1 overtime win Thursday and more than held his own against the Blues’ top players. But he said he has “a lot better than that” coming soon.

For young players like Connor Bedard who form the Hawks’ next generation — and who need to quickly accumulate as much NHL experience as possible — there’s actually a lot of anticipation for the preseason, which starts Thursday against the Blues.

Soderblom’s cool, composed confidence — combined with his size and athleticism — has always excited the Hawks. This season, they’ll see how he fares as a full-time NHL goalie at last.

As the Hawks embrace the arduous journey back to contention, their veterans will be important in restoring the winning habits needed to return to relevance.

After two years of bouncing between the NHL and AHL, Reichel is set to be a full-time center with the Hawks this season. He’ll need to continue improving his defensive and faceoff abilities, but his production late last season — 15 points in 23 games — set an encouraging pace.

Everyone has been awed by some aspect of Bedard’s game through the first two days of camp. For Tyler Johnson, it’s Bedard’s unique shooting release. For Connor Murphy, it’s his ability to create space. For Luke Richardson, it’s his various similarities to Sidney Crosby, Mark Stone and Auston…

The presence of Connor Bedard and a number of other talented prospects lifted the mood at the first day of Hawks camp Thursday. Coach Luke Richardson said he hasn’t made any tweaks to his system yet, but he may eventually make some to accommodate the new personnel.